Over the past twenty years, computers and telecommunications have radically improved. Hardware costs continue to decline while functionality and performance has multiplied. Cable television providers and the telecommunication industry have taken advantage of computer and communication advancements by providing an ever-increasing array of services to their customers. Primarily, recent advancements in technology have enabled the cable service industry to increase channel capacity and provide some degree of interactive television service. This advancement is due in large part by the industry combining the processing power of a computer in the form of a cable box and cable""s large capacity to carry information. Such cable boxes have successfully been used by the industry to provide both a greater selection of channels and some degree of interactivity.
Among such boxes are advanced analog cable boxes. Unlike older analog cable boxes which simply tuned television channels, advanced boxes are capable of overlaying the current time and channel number on top of a television program being viewed. Advanced analog cable boxes also provide an on-screen interface for examining a list of television programs being broadcast at the current time or some time in the near future. The on-screen interface is referred to as an xe2x80x9cInteractive Program Guidexe2x80x9d (IPG). Additionally, some advanced analog cable boxes enable the ordering of Pay-Per-View movies using only the cable box and its remote controller.
Digital cable boxes are personal computing devices designed to connect to a television set. Digital cable boxes utilize the high quality of digitized audio and video television signals to access a large number of broadcast television channels. They also provide an IPG and allow a cable subscriber to order a Pay-Per-View movie directly using the cable box and its remote controller. Digital broadcast satellite systems also utilize digital video technology to provide hundreds of channels to a subscriber via a relatively small (eighteen-inch) satellite dish. These systems typically include an IPG.
Internet and web access boxes also connect to a television set. Web access boxes enable the television owner to attach the device to the television, and through the device""s modem, to a service provider to access the Internet and World Wide Web services. The television then serves as a display monitor for viewing various Web sites.
All of these devices, with varying levels of sophistication, have memory, a central processing unit (CPU) and video-graphics capabilities similar to those of a personal computer. That is, while a personal computer can execute a computer program generating a display to a computer monitor, any of these devices can run a computer program that generates a display to a television, often allowing a consumer to interact with the program via, for example, a remote controller. An example of a computer program running on an advanced analog or digital cable box would be one which displays a list of television programs currently being broadcast and allows the consumer to scroll through the listing.
All of these devices use their memory, CPU and video-graphics capabilities to provide on-screen television interfaces to the consumer that the consumer can use to manipulate the manner in which the device is functioning. Typically, each device is designed and built independently by the device""s manufacturer, of which there are hundreds, each of whom operates independently. The result of this independent product development is that each device has its own unique on-screen television interface which the consumer must learn to operate. Additionally, the on-screen interfaces themselves are often non-intuitive, clumsy or difficulty to operate.
A well-known example of a non-intuitive, inconsistent on-screen interface is the interface for setting the time on a VCR. Many consumers never discover their particular VCR-manufacturer""s preferred method for setting the time, and if they do determine how to operate the interface, it is often difficult and frustrating to repeatedly use the interface. In addition, if the consumer uses a different VCR, typically the method for setting the time is significantly different than in the previous VCR. The present invention overcomes such interface problems by providing a consistent, intuitive interface for accessing, setting and ordering information and services on a television.
The present invention provides a set of on-screen interface components which may be used in various combinations and arrangements to provide an easy-to-use consumer interface. Each individual component has very specific behavior characteristics with certain, finite configurable parameters that determine the exact look and feel of the user interface. Each individual component will be described in exacting detail, describing its complete range of behavior based on its configurable parameters. Additionally, when one component has the capabilities of interacting with or being used in combination with any other components, this will be fully described.
Included in the present invention are both category items and menu items, with each being displayed on a separate axis. The category items contain the menu items and display related menu items when in focus. Menu items display drawables containing information about the menu item when a menu item is in focus. The present invention also includes a grid display, pages, and a numeric entry display.